


All I've Ever Wanted

by PhantomDragon



Category: Being Human (US/Canada), Supernatural
Genre: Abduction, Crossover, F/M, Language, Love, Mystery, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-04-11 15:50:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4441862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomDragon/pseuds/PhantomDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>***ON AND OFF HAITUS*** Ye be warned.</p><p>It's Boston, in the winter of 2010. Aidan Waite, a vampire whose only wish is to live a normal life suddenly finds his world crashing down around him and to get it back, must turn to the very people who hunt his kind and all monsters alike, the Winchesters. The unlikely trio must work together to overcome sadistic vampires, renegade werewolves, wild goose chases and more to find the only person that makes Aidan feel... <em>human</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Day In The Life

**Author's Note:**

> So... Hello, people! I just started writing this yesterday, and I figured I'd get the first chapter out to see how you guys like the idea. This came about from binge watching Being Human, well...both of them, haha, and currently watching Supernatural for the first time. At this rate, I'll probably add a new chapter every few days or so. Please tell me what ya think! 
> 
> (P.S. - If there's spelling mistakes, I have a bit of trouble with stuff like that, and this is my second story ever.) 
> 
> (P.S.S. - And this is my first time using this HTML stuff, which is proving rather complicated and difficult to remember for such a beginner. Eee.)

_Life_. Was is it really? Seconds, minutes, and hours you fill doing something or nothing at all to get through the day and then you do it again. And again. And again. If you're lucky, the time goes by fast, especially if you have friends, family, someone you care, hell, even love to share it with. But if you're like me, chances are you don't have anyone. Not anymore. So... here I am. Working in a hospital most days to come home to an empty duplex with booze stocked cabinets, all the while trying to hold back the monster. 

_Life_.

Don't make me laugh.

~~~

_Clunk_. The man's sneakers squeaked softly on the smooth floor as he turned, taking another bottle of alcohol from its box. _Clunk_. He swiveled the bottle slightly until it matched up with the one beside it, joining all the others in neat rows of five on the shelf. Leaning down, he reached for the last bottle in the box when a different scent cut through the familiar antiseptic smell of the hospital. The man paused, the bottle in hand, and inhaled discreetly. Lavender. She was here again. Fourth time this week. He glanced down the hall, past the doctors rushing to one place or another, nurses talking on phones and to each other, family members of patients pacing to see her come around the corner. Even dressed in just a tank top, jeans, and boots, she was beautiful. She walked like she was dancing, smooth and graceful. 

He blinked suddenly, turning back to the shelf when he realized he was staring. She continued down the drab white hall in his direction, giving small smiles to those she passed, the smell of lavender growing stronger in his heightened senses. She was getting close now. He stared down at the bottle in his hand once again as he debated, not for the first time, whether or not to say something to her when someone shoved into him, making him stagger back as he lost his balance, and tripped over the box on the floor. He stuck his hand out to catch himself, but only succeeded in tipping over the cart, spilling everything and himself onto the floor with a crash. Startled gasps rang out through the hall as he gained the attention of everyone nearby. He shot an angry look at the person looking down at him. Around his own height, blonde hair, green eyes, scrubs. Derek. Figures. 

Derek held up his hands and shrugged. "Oh. Sorry, Aidan, I didn't see you there," he apologized. Aidan narrowed his eyes at him for a second, seeing the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, the twinkle in his eyes and knew he did it on purpose. He let out a breath then got to his feet, setting the cart upright again. Feeling something cold and wet on his side, he looked down and saw a wet patch, definitely from the open bottle of alcohol slowly leaking it's contents onto the floor. "Hey man, it's fine. Just be more careful next time," he told the other man, holding back the urge to deck him in front of all these people, opting to grab a towel and swipe at his blue scrubs instead. Derek grinned and slapped Aidan's shoulder. The vampire frowned at his back as he walked away without a backwards glance. Some things never change. Once a jerk, always a jerk.

Aidan knelt and began sorting through and gathering the supplies strewn across the floor. He grabbed another towel and wiped at the puddle on the floor, then righted the leaking container, and wrapped the towel around it. Two seconds later it started to drip in his hands. "Bullshit," he muttered under breath. He reached for another towel when a slender hand touched his and he froze and looked up to see the young woman's green eyes staring back into his dark brown ones. "I'm sorry," she said, pulling her hand back quickly, brushing back a strand of dark brown hair off her face; though it wouldn't cooperate with her and fell right back where it had been a second later as she gave him a small smile. "I thought I'd help clean this up." She paused, looking suddenly down at her hands. 

Aidan's eyes drifted down to her exposed neck, unconsciously holding his breath. He could see her pulse. His hearing grew fuzzy, blocking out the surrounding noise until all he could hear was her heartbeat. Slowly leaning closer, he opened his mouth slightly, ready to lower his fangs, the throbbing pain in his stomach making him completely forget where he was. _Just a taste_... He came back to himself abruptly as the young woman looked back up at him. "By the way, that guy definitely saw you." Aidan cleared his throat and sat back on his heels, letting out a dry laugh. "Oh, I know. He loves to mess with me." She grinned sheepishly as he smiled at her. He pushed all the towels in a messy pile and placed them on the cart. "So, pretty girl like you got a name?" Her cheeks colored slightly as she blushed. "Ariana," she answered, holding her hand out to him. Aidan gently took her hand and turned it flat. "Aidan," he replied, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. Her cheeks grew redder as he released her hand and gathered the remaining supplies, putting them back in their proper place on the cart. 

"Well, I'll let you get back to work," Ariana said, taking a step back, conscious of the looks, well... glares really that were mostly directed at her by the attractive nurse behind the counter. She stuck one hand in her pocket and gestured with a thumb down the hall as she finished, "And I gotta go do... something..." The vampire smiled at her again as she trailed off, pulling at her earlobe subconsciously. "So, see you around then," she said, shooting him a shy smile. "See you around then," he answered, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and took hold of the supply cart as Ariana turned and started off down the hall the way she was going before. A tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth when he saw her glance back at him as she turned the corner before he doubled over the cart in pain. With a grunt, he pushed himself upright and walked as fast he dared down the hall, ignoring the nurse who stared daggers at his back. He pushed the cart into the nearest utility room, hightailing to the locker room. He shoved open the door, and seeing no one there, went to his locker. The lock clicked against the locker while he turned the dial, unable to steady his shaking hands. He growled softly when the combination didn't work, took a breath, wiped a drop of sweat off his forehead and tried again. _Click._ Presto. He unzipped his backpack, throwing a glance over his shoulder to double check, then sank his teeth into the blood bag with a muffled groan. After sucking it dry, he returned the bag to his pack and locked the door, pressing his back against the cold frame. He rubbed one hand over his face slowly. _That was too close..._


	2. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later than I thought I would be done with this chapter, but... I get distracted. Anyhoo, enjoy. c:

Aidan was running. Running faster than he ever had before. His unzipped leather jacket flapped against his sides in the breeze he created. Down the street, past one abandoned car, then another, and another. His ears were filled with the rhythmic _ta-ta-tick ta-ta-tick ta-ta-tick_ of the beast's claws, his boots slapping the wet pavement. He ran faster, and still the beast kept up. His legs swept him under a traffic light and skidding slightly around the corner onto a darkened street. _Hospital. Gotta get to the hospital,_ he kept telling himself, not knowing why, but believing it. He threw a quick glance back over his shoulder, only catching glimpses of fur, flashes of teeth, and eyes. Those... Those were easy to see. Dark black pits surrounded in a ring of dark, yet bright yellow that seemed to look right inside of you. 

There. It was actually hard to miss since it was the only building on the block that was illuminated. He took the stairs to the main entrance three at a time and shoved the doors open, continuing down the hall. He heard a _thud_ and looked back to see the beast had leapt into the air through the door and stumbled as it landed, falling to its side with a yelp. Aidan didn't waste time hanging around. He pushed a gurney into the aisle as he sprinted through the empty hall, passing shadowy rooms with doors ajar. An earsplitting howl echoed suddenly through the hall, setting a chill running through his bones. He skidded to a stop as he neared the elevator. Well. Tried. He ended up slamming into the door with a grunt, making a shooting pain runs up his arm into his shoulder. Mashing the button with the palm of his hand, he looked back at the wolf slowly stalking closer. _C'mon, c'mon, c'mon._ He kept hitting the button rapidly. Too slow. "Fuck it," he spat, and ran for the fire exit as the wolf pounced, slamming its face against the elevator door. Aidan practically flew up the stairs, hearing the wolf's claws scrabbling for purchase on the small steps as it recovered quickly and leapt after him. The vampire burst through the door and was greeted by an empty rooftop. A low growl made him whip around to see the wolf slowly walk forward through the open door. Aidan backed up slowly, his eyes never leaving the wolf's as it matched his pace step for step, looking like a panther the way its sleek body moved so smoothly and silently, belaying its enormous size, its coarse black fur reflecting the moonlight.

He backed up until he felt the block of concrete separating the roof from the air hit the back of his leg. Shooting a glance behind him, he swallowed nervously when he saw the dizzying distance to the ground. When he looked back, the wolf stood about five feet before him, its intense scent overwhelming his nostrils. It lifted its nose to the darkened sky, releasing a long howl before taking a single step forward, baring its teeth at the vampire. Aidan met its gaze, letting his eyes grow black. " _Well?!_ Finish it already!" he roared at the wolf, dropping his fangs and snarling back at it. He balled his hands into fists when it didn't move. "Come on then!" he yelled, thumping a fist into his chest. "I have nothing left to live for, just _end_ it!" Then it did something very unexpected. A chill ran down his back as he narrowed his eyes at it. It _did_. It _smiled_ at him. Then it leaped. He screamed as he felt its claws shred his jacket and tear into his shoulders, felt its hot breath searching for his throat as they fell back, the wolf's momentum carrying them both over the side and they were falling into the darkness. He heard a shout ring out and looking over the wolf's shoulder, saw a figure on the roof looking down at them in horror. 

He could just barely make out... _Ariana?_

Wood floor rushed up to greet him as he fell from his bed with a thud. He shot abruptly up onto his knees, staring wide eyed around the room, the only sound he heard was his own breath filling the room. Hesitantly reaching up with one hand to his bare shoulder, he felt nothing but his own sweaty skin. He blinked a few times, his eyes returning to normal, and retracted his fangs. That was... some dream. Pulling himself to his feet, he gripped the wood at the end of his bed with both hands, its solid bulk reassuring him somehow. _BEEP, BEEP, BEEP._ He threw an accusing glare at the alarm clock which only continued to blare happily, doing its job to wake him up at six for work. Reaching over and slapping the off button, he ran a hand over his face then headed for the bathroom, ready for a cold shower to clear his head.

~~~

People. People were _everywhere._ Literally. The staff wanted to put on a performance for Christmas so they were getting ready two weeks early, stringing up soft lights and paper ribbons in the halls. Leaning his shoulder against a doorframe, Aidan crossed his arms and paused for a moment to watch. A nurse shuffled by, absorbed by the top paper on a stack in her arms. A father held his child's hand tightly, helping him limp along for some exercise. They stopped in front of a nurse as she kneeled in front of the boy and presented him with a cookie. The child grinned happily, revealing a gap from a missing tooth, taking the treat with a thank you. An orderly sloshed a mop along the floor. Just people being people. Someone bumping into him suddenly startled Aidan out of his reverie. "Oh, I'm sorry, young man," a little old woman with fuzzy gray hair pulled back into a braid smiled up at him. He pushed himself off the wall, smiling back down at her. "That's okay, ma'am. Be careful in here, we're busy today." She chuckled and patted his arm with a soft hand. "I'm not so old I've lost my sight, you know." With that she left him standing there with a grin, watching her pick her way though hall. His grin slowly faded as the hollow pit in his stomach picked that moment to return. _Damn it._

Aidan uncrossed his arms and began threading his way through the sea of people, their blood beating a deafening tattoo in his ears. Making his way to the elevator, he stepped aside to let a trio of teenage girls pass by, ignoring the looks and smiles they tossed over their shoulders at him, and stepped into the now empty elevator that reeked of perfume. A press of a button and twenty seconds later the doors whooshed open softly to welcome him onto the ICU floor which was sensibly quiet besides the squeaking of scattered nurses sneakers and their chatter as they checked on the patients every few minutes. Aidan hurried past the receptionist's desk with a nod to the woman behind it, stopping off at the refrigerated section to grab a saline bag to try and collect himself before continuing down the hall. He rounded the corner and paused suddenly when he heard a familiar voice coming out of the dimly lit room to his right. 

Aidan peeked in and saw Ariana sitting on the bed, holding the hand of a patient, a older man who'd been in a car accident just the day before. He'd been blindsided from a guy running a red light. The car had been so crushed the jaws of life had to used to get him out, but not before a piece of the frame lodged itself in his chest. His heart was failing and there just wasn't enough time for a transplant. The EKG machine beeped softly as the man murmured something to the young woman. She paused and he placed his other hand over hers. Aidan could just make out a "please". He saw her take a breath and suddenly quiet lines of 'Silent Night' filled the room, spilling out into the hallway. The man stared at her, transfixed. Aidan pulled away from the door, pivoting on his heel to brace his back against the wall and just listened for a moment, closing his eyes, the world around him fading to the background. 

"She's something else, isn't she?" a voice said softly. Aidan's eyes flew open with an audible _tick._ It was the receptionist. She motioned with her head for him to follow her around the corner and looked up at him with deep blue eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Aidan waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright. So..." he trailed off and looked at her inquisitively, rubbing the sides of his jaw with a thumb and forefinger. The nurse smiled. "That's Ariana. She volunteers here three or four times a week to sit with the near death patients," she answered, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Aidan nodded slowly. "She stays with them until they die?" he asked softly. The nurse, Samantha, he noted from the nametag pinned to her uniform, hugged herself as she looked at him. "Mhm. Sometimes all night." Her pager suddenly beeped insistently and she hurried off with a 'see you around', leaving him there listening as Ariana's singing drifted gently through the hall.


	3. Back On The Road Again

" _Damn_ , she shines up good." Dean Winchester crossed his arms and grinned proudly at his baby that sat gleaming in the sun. Rays of light reflected brightly off drying water droplets that coated her sleek black finish. "She's shiny all right," his brother said, coming up behind him, shielding his eyes from the glare with his free hand. Dean playfully threw a punch at Sam's arm, making the grocery bag he was carrying slide down to his wrist, then motioned at the paper folded in his hand. "What'cha got there? Wait, hold on." He frowned suddenly at the Impala and crouched down, swiping at a spot on the bumper with his thumb. When the spot didn't disappear, he pulled his sleeve over his hand, and carefully rubbed in a smooth circle until the chrome was shining to par with the rest. Dean looked up as Sam cleared his throat to see his brother staring down at him in amusement. Sam raised an eyebrow and casually waved the paper in the air as he asked, "So, you wanna hear about this or do you wanna get a room?" Dean smirked as he stood back up. "Enlighten me, smart ass," he replied, heading for the drivers door, pulling it open with a sharp squeak. 

Sam chuckled and unfolded the paper, looking for the article he spied earlier in the gas station as he made his way to the other side of the car. "Ah, here it is. In Boston. A Maria Evans, twenty five, found dead in an alley with puncture wounds to her neck and arms," he read, swinging open the door to slide onto the leather seat, reaching over and dropping the bag of snacks in the back. Looking over at his brother, Dean pursed his lips for a second. "That doesn't sound like our kind of case." Sam held up one finger up, "Hang on. This is the fifth identical unsolved murder in, get this, the last week alone," he slapped the paper with the back of his hand as he finished. Dean bounced his head off to one side, and gave a tiny shrug. "Maybe. Puncture wounds, huh? That's all we got?" Sam nodded slowly. "It's worth checking out at least. And it's not like we have a whole lot going on," he pointed out. "I'll try and get the coroner's report to find out more." 

Dean nodded, turned the key in the ignition and the Impala fired up with a throaty roar before settling into a contented purr. He smiled as he gripped the braided leather of the wheel, feeling it rumble gently under his hands. Always loved that. Putting the car into gear, he hit the gas, the back tires sliding a little as they traded dirt for the asphalt highway. "Alright, Sammy. Boston it is."

~~~

Half a day later found them checking into the Bayview Motel, which was actually a decent place for once, though it's name was a bit, well mostly off the mark since the only ocean they could see was a sliver of blue-ish gray a couple miles away playing hide and seek between buildings. Dean tossed Sam his bag from the backseat, shouldering his own as he followed his brother to their room. He stood behind Sam and looked around while waiting for him to open the door. "Uh, Dean?" The older brother glanced at Sam questioningly. "You have the key." A sheepish smile on his face, Dean dug around in his pocket until he found the offending key. "Right." He unlocked the door and pushed it open, nodding slowly with approval as he looked around. The wallpaper was light blue with waves running along the bottom, beds had spreads to match the walls and Dean found as he sat experimentally on the one closest to the door, were pretty comfortable. He dropped his bag onto the carpet with a soft thud and with a contented sigh fell back onto the bed, closing his eyes only to open them again upon hearing a bag unzip.

"So, I got the address of the hospital where they're keeping the bodies. 840 Harrison Avenue. It's downtown, about an hour from here," Sam said, pulling his neatly folded suit out of his bag. "If we get going soon we can make it before the coroner leaves." Dean propped himself up on his elbows and watched Sam pull a tiny iron out from the bottom of the bag. "We just got in, Sam. There's plenty of time. Plus, I'm hungry," he said, rubbing his stomach pointedly. Sam paused his search of the bag and looked over at him. "Dean, we just stopped for food an hour ago." Hauling himself into a sitting position, he shrugged, a little smile on his face. "Yeah, but they were out of pie. A growing boy needs his pie, Sammy." Sam fiddled with the flap on his bag for a minute before dropping it and sitting on the bed with his legs dangling off the side, absently looked down at the tie in his hands. Dean tilted his head and looked at his brother. "Hey. What's up?" 

Sam gave a little shrug, running his thumb along the edge of the tie. "Nothin'. It's just... I just want to keep busy, that's all," he answered quietly. Dean didn't respond right away, having a good idea what was bothering Sam and his name started with a capital 'L'. Leaning over, he grabbed his own bag and fished his slightly rumpled suit out. "Okay, Sam. But we're getting pie on the way back," he said, making Sam crack a smile as he brandished a finger in the air for emphasis. "Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm sloooooow. I have this problem all the time, but from now on, I'm keeping one chapter ready as I write a second so I'll always be ahead. Like I do right now. This one's kinda short, but the next one is much longer, I promise. 
> 
> Thanks to anybody who's reading. <3


	4. To Save and Be Saved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Attempted rape (more implied than not), violence, blood.
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, I shall attempt to work on this story again, since I've been getting more in the swing of things. We'll see. I still want to continue this story, but I have so many stories swirling around my head at the moment. Anyways, enjoy.

The hospital was quiet tonight. The patients were sound asleep, tucked snugly into their warm beds against the persistent chill that roamed the halls. 

A single nurse's sneakers squeaked softly as she headed for the break room in search of a fresh coffee to keep her alert through the rest of the night shift. Snow flakes began tinkling softly against the windows, quickly increasing in volume to a steady shower. Grabbing one elbow, she pulled it in front of her as she walked, stretching out a cramp. Been sitting at a computer for too long today. The nurse pulled her sweater a little tighter around her as she neared the break room, pausing upon reaching the door. 

A sleeping figure was slouched over the table, his head leaning his forearm, his other arm dangling down to the floor, his fingertips a hair's breath from skimming the smooth tile. She walked forward softly, smiling as a soft snore cut through the silence. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she shook gently. "Aidan?"

Aidan jerked upright so fast his chair slid backwards an inch as the nurse gasped in surprise. "I'm awake," he blurted. Blearily looking over his shoulder, he saw the middle aged woman looming over him like a school teacher, complete with a raised eyebrow stare. A sheepish smile appearing on his face, he raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, Hannah." 

Hannah patted his shoulder, chuckling. "That's alright, honey." She smiled as she took in his appearance. His watch strap had left a faint imprint on his cheek and his spikey black hair was slightly flattened where it had rested on the table. He ran his fingers through it as he noticed her looking, not fully succeeding in fixing it.

She went to the coffee machine, poured some into a cup and sipped. "Ugh." 

Aidan chuckled as she made a face and poured it down the drain. "Cold?" 

She nodded. "Oh, yeah." 

Aidan stood then looked down and brushed his hands over his rumpled scrubs, then paused, catching a glimpse of his watch. 2:30. Half an hour past his shift. He caught the nurse's eye as she cleaned the coffee filter in the sink. 

"Past your shift?" He nodded, rubbing absently at his neck. "We've all done it one time or another, sweetheart," she said, replacing the filter and pouring fresh grounds and water into the machine. "You want to wait for a coffee before you head home?" Aidan shook his head. 

"No, thanks. See you tomorrow, Hannah," he answered, heading for the door. 

"See you," she returned, tossing him a wave.

Fifteen minutes later, Aidan headed out the back exit of the hospital, bounding down the stairs two at time. Though it had to be at least ten degrees, he was clad in just a tee and leather jacket. He didn't start feel the cold until it got pretty deep into the negatives. 

The snow crunched under his boots as he walked, an inch of it had already fallen, an unbroken sheet of white stretching out like a cloud before him. After walking twenty minutes, he turned to head for the main street when a soft clink of a bottle in the alley to his left made him pause.

Blinking against the snow, he looked down the alley and listened. Voices whispering. A muffled groan. Aidan sighed. _Probably another mugging._ He headed for the dark space, his footfalls suddenly becoming silent as he stalked closer, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. Sounded like two, three men and a girl. _Wait a minute._ He took a breath through his nose. _Werewolves. Shit._ Glancing up quickly at the moon, he squinted against the clouds to make out that it was almost full. Must be running on a high so close to changing, they smelled stronger than normal. He heard the girl whimper then laughter. _Fuck._ Well, he had his silver knife, he had to do something, wasn't going to let them rape her.

__The girl was crying softly behind the large hand covering her mouth. She couldn't have been a day older than nineteen. Two of the men were holding her arms tightly while the third's hands roamed freely under her clothes. Medium built guy, ugly as sin. The other two were tall and lanky, looked like brothers actually. The taller of the two froze suddenly, jerking his head to the right. "Did you hear something?"_ _

__"Boo." Aidan grabbed Igor by the collar, tearing him off the girl and hurled him against the wall. "Run!" Aidan yelled at the girl as the two released her arms. She took off as fast as she could, shoes slipping in the snow._ _

__"Leech!" the taller brother spat. Aidan turned so he could keep the fallen guy in his peripheral vision, seeing him pick himself off the ground, clumps of snow falling off his frame to rejoin the rest of the snow. The other two sidestepped slowly, one to the right, one to the left, the three of them forming a loose triangle around Aidan._ _

__Aidan wagged one finger in the air, keeping his right hand flush against his leg, hiding the blade. "Bad dogs." Then everything started to move in slow motion. Igor pushed of the wall and lunged forward with a broken bottle as the shorter brother swung a punch at Aidan's ribs._ _

__Aidan took the blow then sliced across his arm, sending him reeling back screaming, then turned smoothly and shoved the heel of his hand into the crook of Igor's arm, succeeding in making him drop the bottle, but barely slowing him down as he kept going and tackled Aidan around the waist, sending them to the ground._ _

__The guy recovered first, sitting up and settling his weight on Aidan's chest, pinning him against the slippery ground. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._ He squirmed against the pressure, feeling snow work its way under his jacket as he moved when Igor started landing rapid fire punches. Blood ran down his face as he took hits to the nose, jaw, nose again, then temple. He blindly swung his knife at Igor, but felt a hand catch his wrist before it connected and twist viciously, making him drop it into the snow with a sharp yell. _ _

__The other brother picked it and stared at it for a minute before sneering down at Aidan. "Not so tough without this, are ya, leech?" he taunted, then reaching down, swiftly buried it to the hilt in Aidan's shoulder._ _

__Aidan roared, furiously throwing punches anywhere they would land. He felt the crushing weight shift as he caught Igor straight in the nose. Slamming his knee into Igor's back, he swung his elbow and caught him in the head, sending him face first into the snow._ _

__Aidan staggered to his feet and pulled the knife out with a grunt, swinging it wildly at the taller brother who advanced slowly on him. Blood dripped off his chest, speckling the snow as he backed away unsteadily. The shorter one joined him, holding one arm close to his side._ _

__"What's the matter, boy? Scared?" Their laughter bounced eerily off the walls as Aidan backed right into a dumpster. He gripped the knife tightly in the left fist, just looking at the two for a second._ _

__"Come and get it then!" he snarled, letting his fangs descend._ _

__The taller one shot a look at his brother who nodded in return, and on a silent command they both charged in unison, one easily blocking his stab and slammed his fist into the cold steel of the dumpster sending the knife flying into the night. The other kneed him in the stomach, forcing all the air out his lungs with a gasp._ _

__Aidan fell to his knees, then on his side and curled up in a ball, weakly trying to cover his head with one arm as they rained down blows on him, one attacking his front, the other his back. His vision blurred as a kick thumped into the back of the head._ _

__"Hey!" a voice shouted. A woman. She sounded muffled through the ringing in Aidan's ears. He felt more than heard the brothers take a step back as the pounding stopped. "Grab your buddy and get the hell of here! I already called the cops!"_ _

__Aidan coughed, blood spilling out of his mouth to stain the snow. Footsteps crunched away, leaving him in sudden silence. It was strange, the parts of him that didn't ache actually felt... cold. He let out a broken sigh and closed his eyes. _Just want to rest for a minute..._ He didn't notice the woman come up and kneel beside him until she placed her hand gently on his shoulder and just reacted, jerking away and snarling at her, eyes black, fangs exposed. _ _

__"Jesus!" she gasped, shooting backwards and falling on her hands. "What... _Aidan?_ " _ _

__Aidan blinked a few times and willed the world to come back into focus. The first thing he saw was Ariana staring wide eyed back at him. _Oh, no._ He whipped his head away, returning his features to normal. "I... It's not..." his voice trailed off, far too tired to try to think up excuses. _ _

__Ariana slowly moved forward cautiously, glancing down at the trampled snow around them. There was so much blood, the dark red a startling contrast against white._ _

__Aidan's head spun, suddenly feeling way too heavy to hold up, his eyes closing as his chin tipped down to touch his chest. He didn't notice he was falling until a firm hand caught hold of his shoulder and pushed him back._ _

__"Hey. Aidan, look at me," she said, keeping him from falling with one hand, taking hold of his chin and gently pulling his face up with the other. His eyes fluttered open with a groan as she put pressure on the knife wound. "That's it. Let's get you to the hospital, my car's right over there," she started, but he shook his head, pulling away from her hand._ _

__"No. No hospital. No cops either," he groaned and pulled himself to a sitting position, then tried to stand, but his right leg decided to betray him and crumpled.  
Ariana caught his arm before he hit the deck, slinging it across her shoulders, and slipped the other around his narrow waist. When he heard her grunt under her breath, he shifted his weight, trying not to lean on her so heavily, only partially succeeding._ _

__"Well, let's get you out of the cold for starters, all right." Going by the tone in her voice it wasn't a question. "And I lied," she added. He looked at her blankly. "I didn't call the cops, don't have a phone."_ _

__Aidan made a little huh sound and groaned out, "Glad it worked." One painful step at a time, she led them toward the mouth of the alley, following the sets of footprints they had made._ _

__"So, uh--" Aidan started before cutting himself off with a strangled cry as his bad leg caught and twisted on a half buried trash can. He shuddered then took a shaky step forward and continued. "You saw... what I am..." She tightened her grip on his arm and stayed silent. "Why didn't you just leave me?" he whispered._ _

__She shrugged as best she could, taking a few seconds to maneuver them carefully around a pile of boxes and bags before answering. "You didn't have to save that girl. But you did. Even though you're a..." she paused, not knowing what he was. "A whatever. I figure you deserve some help for that." She felt him tense as she finished._ _

__His vision blurred again, this time from tears pricking the backs of his eyes at the undeserved kindness. He shut his eyes against them and the ever thickening snowfall and concentrated on keeping his feet moving, opening them again a minute later to see a dull red sedan before them as Arianna stopped._ _

__"Can you stand by yourself for a minute? I need to unlock the door," she said, looking up at him questioningly._ _

__Aidan nodded and braced his hand on the roof, balancing one leg. He heard keys jingling then scrape into the slot, and the door swung open silently. Arianna took his arm, guiding him gently inside._ _

__He sank into the soft leather with a sigh, letting his head fall back and his eyes close as he listened to the snow crunch beneath her boots. Frigid air ran quickly over his face as she opened the door and hopped in, closing the door firmly before she even settled in the seat._ _

__"Let's get some heat on in here," she muttered, and the turn of a key and the flip of a switch banished the cold with a rush of warm air. She looked over at Aidan thoughtfully._ _

__"Sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"_ _

__He looked over at her and answered in the negative with a tiny shake of the head. With a sigh, she rubbed the sides of her head with both hands._ _

__"Okay... I'll take you to my place for now, until we can figure something else out."_ _

__Darkness impeded the corners of his vision, the pain departing to the back of his mind. Arianna looked over at him when he spoke her name. His voice sounded far away even to his own ears as he whispered, "Thank you for saving me." Closing his eyes again, he let go, giving into the darkness that eagerly awaited him._ _


End file.
